Pride Goes Before the Fall: Chapter 1
My new series. Comments are welcome, and any feedback. I'm also looking for an editor, as i stated in my journal, so if you, or someone you know would be up for it, PM me. I'd love another set of eyes to help point out the usual grammar errors, spelling, and inconsistancies. I'd be grateful for the help, it would improve my stories. Anywho, enjoy!
Chapter 1
Hundreds filled the massive square in front of the massive Temple of Her Divine. The wooden gallows stood in front of the massive doors, surrounded by a dozen of the best Barsanan Elite Guards. Several squads of city guards also patrolled the perimeter to keep order. Hangings, especially of great importance, could cause riots. It wasn't always in protest, but such public displays of violence got people riled, and many came drunk, or with drinks.
The crowd watched as a plain wood windowless carriage pulled up closely to the gallow steps, escorted by a half dozen horseman. The door opened, and two men and a woman, ankles and wrists chained, were drug from the wagon by the executioner. On the main platform, stood a well dressed human man, obviously an important official, usually a judge or high priest, depending on the nature of the crimes. This man, clutching a scroll, was a nobleman, and no uniform or identifying seal could be seen. The prisoners were marched into place, in full view of the crowds. The crowd murmured as they guessed who these well dressed prisoners were. The first was a lion, dressed in a dark green and navy blue uniform, though all insignias were removed, only several possibillities could exist of what military organization this man belonged to. The second, was obviously a human, as he was missing a boot, and hhis feet were visible. He too wore finery of a nobleman, though dirty and torn like the others. The final prisoner was a vixen, she was the best dressed of them all. Her silk finery, as expensive as a good working horse, was torn and muddy. All three stood proud, even in their poor state.
The official opened the scroll, and began to adress the crowd.
"Ladies and gentleman, people of Barsanan, we are here to witness the execution of three traitors, traitors who conspired against King Aldorik. These three are here to face their crimes, and as is their right from Her Divine and the gods, they will be given a chance to beg for thier souls, and for Her forgiveness, because none shall be shown from us." The man turned to the three, "Do you wish to beg Her Divinity for forgiveness?"
"No." The two men stated, at once.
"Yes." The Vixen stated, he voice muffled by the hood.
"Very well. May the Divine hear your pleas, and may you hope she has forgiveness." The offical said, as he removed the hood, from the young vixen. The crowd gasped, and murmurs filled the square.
"Is the king mad?!"
"How can he do this?"
"She obviously did something!"
"But she is a duchess!"
"QUIET!", the man said, and the crowd went silent.
"I, Duchess Leonie of Serpent's Sea, do NOT seek forgiveness from Her Divinity. I seek justice. The King has betrayed us all, he is mad with power an-OOF." The duchess fell on her knees coughing from the blow to her gut.
"Prepare the prisoners." The man said, and the guards pushed them forward. As the guards took hold of the nooses, they froze in shock, as did every soul in the square.
The three city guards fell, one bolt each in their spines. The official, the other guards, and the executioner stared in shock. The duchess sprang into action, moving as faster than anyone thought possible, she wrapped the chain on her wrists around the officials neck, and tightened it. The crowd began to scream, and the guards began to rush the platform as the prisoners got out of their hoods, but more arrows stopped them.
"On the roofs!" A guard shouted, as figures of the square's perimeter began to fire again. Cloaks fell from several dozen more people in the crowd, and the guards found themselves falling under a surprise assault. A battle erupted as dozens of men and women, armed to the teeth, attacked the guards in the square. Arrows continued to rain down, slaying guards as they entered the square, but not hitting a single innocent.
Three of the attackers leapt on the gallows, and retrived the keys from the dead guards and official.
"Its about time you got here colonel, I was beggining to think the duchy had forgotten it's ruler." The vixen said, rubbing her wrists as the chains fell.
"Never my lady." The wolf replied.
The attackers qucikly dispatched the guards, and soon the only armed men were those in the navy blue and hunter green uniforms and armor of the Duchy of Serpent's Sea Royal Marines. More city and temple guards responded, but the square was secure, for now.
"My love, we must leave now!" A twenty four year old elf stated. He wore the armor of a knight of Serpent's Sea, steal plate armor, with the crest of the duchy on the chest plate.
"Kenrus? You're here! I thought they had gotten you too! The vixen said, hugging her lover.
"I got wind of the trap, but i couldn't warn you, and I barely escaped. I made it back, and got word to the colonel. Speaking of which, we need to leave." The elf said.
"What about my ship? I won't let the king get his hands on my ship. His soldiers seized it when I was arrested."
"Another company of marines and sailors are retaking the Summer Star. We aren't letting them get their hands on it. If they can't retake it, they'll burn it. We need to leave. Now." Kenrus said.
"The sewers. We know a path that will lead us to the ocean, we have a ship waiting." The colonel said. "Admiral! I'm glad we were able to save you too!"
"Not now. Lets move before the king sends his men. The city guards may be easy prey, but the kings men are well trained, and are more than a match for your marines." The greying lion commanded.
"Does anyone care that I'm free too?" The human sated.
"Earl Winchester, I'm glad you are free too. We'll get you a ship back to your lands as soon as we reach Serpent's Sea." Duchess Leonie Summers said, as the group descended the platform.
The former prisoners, Knight-Lord Kenrus, the colonel, and a half dozen marines ran through the square and into an alleyway. But slid to a stop. A patrol of temple guards, resplendant in full gold studded chainmail, stood in their path.
"Stop right there! You will die as traitors!"
"Not today!" The vixen sneered, and charged with the others. Metal collided as she parried an attack from the officer who had shouted. She blocked another blow and kicked out, her velvet lined leather shoes met the chainmail protecting the groin. The officer hesitated under the blow, even though it did not hurt, it was still distracting enough for her to get an opening. In a few secods of the charge, her blade sank into his chest, and he and the other guards fell. The group stepped over the blood spilling inconvenience and around a corner, spotting the sewer grate.
All eleven of them jumped into the putrid sewer, and followed the colonel.
"Its a fifteen minute jog to the boat, are you up to it my lady?"
"Just get me out of this cesspit and I'll worry about that when I get back to the island, move!" The group jogged for a few minutes before a dozen marines joined them at a junction. The liuetenant reported fourteen known casualties, and a group that split up.
"Sergeant Walls and his men took another route, toward the exit of the city walls, they are leading most of the king's men away, but others are in the sewers, we must make haste."
The duchess and her men moved even more quickly, not wishing to see their daring plan runined. They need not worry, as the sewer grate into the ocean was in view, as was the ship. After the soldiers were all accounted for, except the dead and Sergeant Walls' men, the ship set sail. Soon the cutter Summer Star, the duchess' personal ship, caught up and sailed next to the galleon.
In the captain's quarters, the duchess dressed in the dark green and navy blue uniform of an admiral. The door opened, Knight-Lord Kenrus, leader of the duchy's knights, entered, he had donned the navy blue tunic, pants, and leather boots the knights wore when not in armor. His brown hair was loosely down to his shoulders, and his hazel eyes gazed fondly at the gorgeous young vixen. The two embraced.
"Kenrus. I'm so glad you came! The king's hospitality was dreadful!"
"I would not let that bastard take you Leonie. I'm only sad that we could not free you sooner, but the dungeons under the palace are too well guarded. The square was easier, as was the escape."
"I'm just glad we are free. When we get back, we'll gather our army. I'm certain the king, in his madness, will not stand for my escape."
"The kings army is vast, but his navy is weak. He must first make it to Serpents Sea with his armies before they can siege Summer Shore, or any of the other cities."
"Yes. The crown had always relied on our fleets in times of war, but now that it is nearly civil war in the Barsanan Kingdom, the many of the nobles are joining our side, or just looking the other way. We can easily defend ourselves, but we need more soldiers if we try to depose the king."
"The king would be stupid to risk his men against our fleets. Admiral Lyon would see to their destrction. Enough talk of this, lets head on deck for fresh air." The elf said, taking the duchess' paw in his hand.
The two climbed on the deck, buzzing with activity. The massive galleon was making tremendous speed, and the King's CIty faded from view. Leonie loved the sea. She had been sailing on her father's ship, now her's, for as long as she could remember. Her family had ruled the island for three centuries. The main port city, Summer City, was named after its ruling family. Serpant's Sea was mostly sailors, merchants, and fisherman, but many herdsman and miners filled the inland villages that called the hills and mountain home.
The Duchy of Serpent's Sea was a large island, fairly distant from the mainland. It had always served as a line of defense, and an area where the king's invasion forces gathered strength. In peacetime, it was a trading superpower. Serpant's Sea was mostly rolling hills, with one massive mountain in the center. It provided the hard, quality granite and marble that built the walls of her capital and its port. and the two port towns, and the many castles and fortresses, and the metals for the armor of her stalwart soldiers. The hills provided ideal grazing for the smaller villages, while the fishing villages provided whale and fish in great abundance. The ports of Summer City and the towns of White Cliffs and Sailor's Boon traded with the far reaches of the known world. The markets were filled with everything one could imagine or want to buy. These three ports made the Duchy of Serpant's Sea massively wealthy, and she and her fleets guarded it zealously.
After two weeks of sailing, the galleon and cutter glided into the dock. Met by a platoon of palace guards and a cadre of knights, the duchess (forgoing the carriage for a good walk) and the knight-lord made their way through the granite and marble city, taking in the salty air, the smells of the ocean, and the sounds of the city as the docks and markets began to blend together. The city was the guardian of a natural bay that shielded the ports from the roughest parts of the storms, and provided calm waters for weary ships. Most of the buidlings were built from thick slabs of granite, able to withstand brutal winds and rain. In the summer, like now, the granite seemed almost golden, bleached by the sun. The cities wide boulevards, large but elegant buidlings, and archways that spanded the streets, offered an impressive sight for those just arriving. Trees and gardens lined the sidewalks, and flowers and bushes stretched toward the sky from rofftop gardens, and flowering vines clung to buildings and arches, adding a sweet smell to the salty breeze.
Men, woman, furs, humans and elves traveled the streets. The people wore everything from the finest silks, to basic linens, but everyone had a healthy glow and robust look, thanks to the warm, sunny climate of the duchy, and the affordable food prices and many jobs. In the markets, fish of various sizes and colors were for sale, along with wares from around the Empire and the world, mutton was on display too, from freshly slain sheep, brought in from the hills. From the taverns and open-air cafes, the smell of cooked mutton and fish added to the already complex aroma of the golden city.
The market district began to wane into the temple district. It was not really a district, but one massive marble and granite compund. The Temple of the Sea Goddess, a tall, masive marble building stood in the center. Arches and butresses adorned the building, as well as carvings and statues of the goddess, and carvings of the history of Serpent's Sea. It was a sight to behold. The temple was surrounded by other buildings and walls, all made from granite, unadorned. These buildings housed the clergy, staff, and guard of the temple, as well as any other needs. They were plain, as not to distract the visitors and citizens from the glory of the goddess' temple.
After a good walk, the group made their way into the palace district, where the Duchess' home resided, next to the palaces and villas of the nobility and wealthy merchants. This section of the city was built from granite as well, but the granite was sandwiched between the pure white and grey marble of the mountain, giving the entire district and near dizzying glow from the reflected sun. From the open-air palaces and villas, the sounds of music could be heard, all sorts, from every corner of the world. The palace stood in the center, also made of marble reinforced with granite. Its walls and colonnades took up several city blocks, every couple dozen yards or so, a small guard house faced the street, manned by a man or woman in white steel armor, the Serpent's Sea crest on the chest. The main gate of the palace opened to receive the duchess and her escort. The duchess loved walking through the gardens and covered colonnades. Fountains and ponds, filled with beautiful fish and frogs, dotted the palace grounds. Statues of the Summer family ancestors lined the main boulevard of the palace grounds. The main doors of the palace were at the end of the long boulevard, the crest once again visible. The crest was a half navy blue, and half green triangular shield, with a coiled sea serpent in the center, wrapped around an anchor resting against a marble column. In its mouth it held three scrolls, one large golden scroll, and two small, one white, and one blue, representing Summer City, White Cliffs, and Sailor's Boon.
"Its good to be home." The duchess said, as guards opened the massive doors for the group.